Mitsubishi Halts All SpaceJet Flying, Production Winding Down To Zero

The Mitsubishi Aircraft SpaceJet program has halted all flight testing worldwide and is winding down production to zero. The company said it must first meet cost targets and then work out a plan to get a type certificate (TC). Only after the regional jet is declared airworthy will the resumption of manufacturing be considered. Staffing at the home of the program in Nagoya, Japan, will be reduced, Mitsubishi Aircraft said, briefly outlining its plans to Aviation Daily.
Despite the retrenchment of development, Mitsubishi Aircraft majority owner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) completed on June 1 its purchase of the Bombardier CRJ program, the likely foundation of future SpaceJet maintenance and marketing. The CRJ business is now called MHI RJ Aviation Group; it does not include CRJ manufacturing facilities.